Badenoch enjoys her first, and probably last, Tory conference leader’s speech | John Crace

<p>The audience cheered and clapped to convince themselves the whole thing hadn’t been a waste of time</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2025/oct/08/conservative-tory-conference-kemi-badenoch-labour-keir-starmer-india-uk-politics-live-news-updates">Tory plan to abolish stamp duty ‘will benefit London and the wealthiest the most’ – UK politics live</a></p></li></ul><p>This is the end, beautiful friend, the end. And not a moment too soon. The coup de grace, the leader’s speech from Kemi Badenoch. Her first and almost certainly her last. Half her membership want her gone now. The other half are happy to give her until next year.</p><p>But just for this hour, all hostilities were to be forgiven. No matter that this conference had been dead on arrival. A celebration of annihilation. This was to be a remembrance of times past. A collective narcosis. The Tories’ very own Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.</p><p><strong><a href="https://live.theguardian.com/uk/events/1873537?utm_medium=ACQUISITIONS_FOOTER&amp;utm_campaign=Live_event_Year_in_Westminster_2025&amp;utm_content=article_endnotes&amp;utm_term=live&amp;utm_source=GUARDIAN_WEB">A year in Westminster: John Crace, Marina Hyde and Pippa Crerar</a>.</strong> On Tuesday 2 December, join Crace, Hyde and Crerar as they look back with special guests on another extraordinary year, live at the Barbican in London and livestreamed globally. <a href="https://live.theguardian.com/uk/events/1873537?utm_medium=ACQUISITIONS_FOOTER&amp;utm_campaign=Live_event_Year_in_Westminster_2025&amp;utm_content=article_endnotes&amp;utm_term=live&amp;utm_source=GUARDIAN_WEB">Book tickets here</a>.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/oct/08/badenoch-enjoys-her-first-and-probably-last-tory-conference-leader